Joy of Country Living

Since living out here on top of our little hill, we’ve found that there are times when we don’t see or talk to anyone for a week or so. That being said, David and I have had some strange conversations during these ‘spells’ – like the other morning when we had a discussion on the difference between muffins and cupcakes. (We had just finished eating blueberry MUFFINS for breakfast.)  This conversation was even more curious due to the fact that David, who doesn’t cook – but is learning to, laid claim to the fact that the difference between the two treats is …. muffins are heavy and cupcakes are light in texture and frosted. Although his argument did have some validity…. in my opinion, he wasn’t totally accurate – after all, I felt my blueberry muffins that morning had turned out exceptionally light and delicious.

I’ve been mulling on this discussion most of the week and have done a little sleuthing on the Net to see what others had to say. Even though both are baked in a ‘muffin’ tin with cupcake liners, it would seem there is an accepted difference.

Overall consensus and conclusion: Muffins are considered a bread, ie., pumpkin muffins, cornbread muffins, Morning Glory muffins (this one really got David going – thought they were made with flowers), while cupcakes are deemed ‘little cakes’ are made from cake batter that after baking  is either frosted, filled or decorated. So there you go – end of story.

Now, back to the blueberry muffins….I make these from a mix but like to add a couple extra ingredients and switch out one. I’ve found that doing so makes them a bit lighter and they taste better with more berries. Here’s what I do:

• Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon vanilla to the batter
• Use melted butter instead of cooking oil
• Add in 1/2 cup extra blueberries along with the canned ones
• Sprinkle the top of the batter with streusel before baking

The streusel recipe is available at this link.

Bake as directed and enjoy. Any leftovers I freeze for later.

I’ve uploaded recipes for Morning Glory Muffins at this link, and found a new muffin – Salsa Cornbread Muffins that I thought sounded really good. You can get that recipe here.  And the morning glory picture really has nothing to do with anything – I just thought it was pretty.

Staycation Texas

Spring break is near and summer vacation is just around the corner. For those looking for something to do or somewhere to go right here in Texas – don’t forget you can get lot’s of good travel information at This is Our Texas.   And, for those that enjoy the Round Top Spring Antique Show – visit this link to see a video with some of the goodies you’ll find there this year.

Final thought – if you’re considering purchasing a home safe, check out some of the different types of safes and what features you might want to think about.   Just click here.

 It’s winter again, cold and wet – so doubt if we’ll be going to an auction we had planned to attend Saturday.   We went there last weekend, primarily to see friends – as well as the thousands of Dallas Cowboy items they were auctioning off. This weekend they are to auction off the more traditional estate items… glass, furniture, coins, etc. as well as the Cowboy items that didn’t sell. But don’t think we’ll make it – just too nasty outside.

The trip to the auction was a straight shot – no time to dilly-dally – as we wanted to get there early enough to visit. Not knowing exactly where we were going, had the opportunity to use the Garmin (thanks, J&J) for really the first time.

Of course, just like I don’t like to measure ingredients for cooking, neither do I like to read instruction manuals. So, since I was ‘navigator’, I was pretty much flying by the seat of my pants when it came to operating the ‘machine’. I can say – all of my knowledge was based on what I had retained having watched Jerry (David’s sister-in-law) operate her ‘machine’.  And I might add, these observations were made from the back seat looking over the console. Overall, I didn’t do too bad. . . just kept punching buttons until I got the directions we were looking for . . . everything was going well until I decided to dust off the screen. Didn’t know that you could move the whole screen around by swishing it one way or the other with a finger! Haven’t a clue where we ended up after I gave it a good wiping – couldn’t find our destination anywhere on the screen… so, thought it better to start over, which is what I did. I know now, you don’t dust a Garmin.

We didn’t stay for the whole auction, but decided to take a leisurely trip coming home. Got to see some old Texas back roads and take a few pictures. Of course, the flowers aren’t blooming and the trees are still bear, but nevertheless, got some nice pictures. We thought this picture might be an old water or grain tower – but with that design on top, looked like it might have been plucked right off an old medieval stone castle.

Took a little time to get out in the yard this last week, did a little more work on pruning trees and  got a picture of the pear trees blooming for the first time.  Still have them in their wire cages to keep the deer from eating them up.

Also, tackled an infestation of web worms on one of the plum trees. They are amazing (the worms) – seems they appear out of nowhere and can just about kill a tree before you know it. Now that I’ve seen them once – will have to be watchful of my other fruit trees.

Had a new dish today . . . new to us anyway. Blackened chicken breast. It was so easy to fix, and thankfully, David liked it. If you’re looking for a quick entree that looks and tastes like you took a lot of time, this is it. I had planned to serve it with some Fettuccine Alfredo – but didn’t have the right cheese – so rice worked just as well.

1)  To prepare, use skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Depending on the size of the breast, you want to either cut it in half (length-ways) or pound to an even thickness between plastic wrap with a flat mallet or plate. Final thickness I had was about half an inch. (Fig 1)

 2)  In a non-stick skillet, melt approximately 1 tablespoon butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. (This is enough to cook 2 servings. Increase butter/oil if preparing additional breasts.)

3)  Let the oil and butter get hot but be careful not to let the butter burn.

4)  Add the chicken breasts to the hot skillet. (Fig 2)

5)  Completely sprinkle top side with blackened-seasonings.

Note: I only sprinkle one side because we do not like really spicy food; if you do, then you may want to sprinkle both sides with seasoning before adding to skillet.

6)  Let the breasts cook on first side until lightly browned, then turn. Continue cooking until done.  (Fig 3)

7)  Serve  (For a little extra flavor, try spooning a little of the ‘pan drippings’ over each breast before serving.)

Enjoy!

I’m ready to go outside. Spent the better part of the weekend getting tax stuff together. For some reason, always feel a great sense of relief when we get that finished. In spite of it all, did manage to find some time to do a little work in the yard. Got the crape myrtles trimmed back as well as the Cypress trees outside the yard. (David got to use his new ‘Jaw-Saw’ he got for Christmas for this chore. But that’s a post in itself for later. Can you say CHOMP?!)

The Cypress trees have become huge – but do offer nice shade to the propane tank during those hot summer months- so they’re keepers. Did not get the peach trees pruned this year – and they are now in bloom – so guess that’s one chore that won’t get done. The garden is the next thing we’ll tackle this upcoming weekend, weather permitting – and as much as we enjoy fresh vegetables – I’m starting to wonder if it is worth all the work,  especially if we have another dry summer. But guess I’ll give it one more try . . . hmmmmm, seems I say that every year.

With all the extra outside work and what’s upcoming . . . need to completely clean out and re-plant at least two beds – my supply of freezer casseroles is getting low – so I’ll have to set aside a day, pretty soon, to replenish those. Really enjoy having stuff in the freezer to just heat up and serve . . . and have a new treat to add to the list. Not a casserole – but something for breakfast – easy sausage kolaches.

In the past, we’ve enjoyed those quick breakfast sausage rolls from the store’s freezer section with the exception of two things – I didn’t like the cheese in the sausage (not fond of cheese) and the price. So when I ran out of the store bought ones the other day, decided to try making my own. Of course, I looked for the easiest way to do this. Decided to use frozen yeast rolls (Rhodes brand here) and our favorite sausage. It’s a pretty simple process and you can make as many or as few as you like.

Before you begin – decide if you want small bite-sized or full-sized ones. We’ve tried both and like the larger size best.  (But we ate those up before I got a picture of them!)  And, for the sausage, we prefer the Eckrich skinless – but again, you can use your own favorite.

To make these easy kolaches follow the steps below.

1)  After taking the yeast rolls out of the freezer, let them defrost and come to room temperature. (It’s best to place them on a floured or lightly greased surface so the dough won’t stick when you start working with it.)

2)  Once the rolls are soft (but haven’t started to rise) flatten them out on a floured surface using a rolling pin. (Yes, they will rise again) You want the rolls flattened out enough to totally enclose the section of sausage you will be using or if you are making the bite-sized ones, large enough to cut in half but still wrap around a smaller portion of meat.

Since I was using link sausage, I cut a section of sausage (about 2-1/2 to 3 inches in length for full-sized) and then cut that into halves – lengthwise.

3)  Next, wrap the halved section inside the flattened roll, sealing the ends and pinched the bottom to seal. Again, if you are making bite-sized, adjust the length of sausage to fit the dough size. Wrap the sausage in the dough and seal the bottom. For my bite-sized kolaches, I left the sausage sticking out the ends.

4)   Place the finished sausage kolaches on a ungreased pan, sealed bottom down. (Enough of the fat from the sausage will cook out to keep them from sticking.)

5)  Allow the finished kolaches to rise for about one hour in a warm place. (I find sitting them on a wire cake rack over a pan of warm water works nicely.)

6)  Bake in a preheated oven (375 degrees) until they are golden brown on top.

7)  Brush with butter before serving – or if you plan on using later, allow them to cool (no butter). They can be frozen and re-heated in the microwave.

When re-heating, allow them to defrost  for about 30 minutes before micro-waving at 50% power. Depending on how many kolaches you want to serve, only re-heat for few seconds at a time. Start with 10-15 seconds for two (2) or 20-30 seconds for three or four (3 or 4). Brush with melted butter before serving.

The only drawback I’ve found to these sausage kolaches is that if you heat them in the microwave while they are still frozen . . . or heat them too much after they have defrosted, the dough will become slightly tough – so use caution. If you have the time, it’s best to let the frozen ones sit before re-heating – much better.

After making these at home, doubt if we’ll ever buy the packaged ones again. Especially since I’m always watching my budget and have found that these can be homemade at about half the cost of buying the same quantity at the store . . . not to mention we like them better! Enjoy!

PS – Check out  I Can’t Believe It’s Sugarfree where I’m putting up two new sugarfree recipes – Strawberry Pie and Blueberry Cobbler  -you won’t believe how easy this one is!  If you don’t see them, please check back – the Blueberry cobbler is still in the oven.

What a surprise. Went to close the front door last night and was treated to this beautiful sunset – looked like the sky was on fire.   With the weather warmer, David and I went out on the front porch to enjoy the scene and take a few pictures. Spring is definitely in the air – the yellow field flowers are starting to bloom as are the peach and plum trees.  I’m looking forward to getting out in the yard this weekend to see what else is popping out and do a little cleaning up. Have lot’s of plans – what else is new? Just never know how much time I’ll have to get things done.

Did try out the lady finger dessert – and it was very good.  In fact, if you don’t tell anyone you made them, I would bet they’d think  you’d gone to the bakery.

Decided not go the lemon-y route – but prepared them more along the lines of a cross between a Boston Cream Pie and a Napoleon – so decided to name  them Lady Fingers Napolí. I made mine sugarfree – you can get that recipe at this link  – but I’m posting the traditional ‘sugar’ recipe below.

Ingredients

• 2 Packages of prepared lady finger pastries
• 1 box of Vanilla Instant pudding
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons water (approx)
• 1+ tablespoon chocolate chips (melted *)

*  To easily melt this small a quantity of chocolate chips, place them in a microwave safe bowl and then microwave in 10 second intervals until they are soft.  They will not become liquid so be careful not to over cook. Test them for softness after each 10 seconds.

 Directions

1. Make the pudding per box directions for a pie. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. In small bowl mix the powdered sugar and water until spreadable. Set aside
3. In another small bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and then add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and enough water for a consistency thin enough to drizzle but not run. Set aside
4. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of pudding on bottom half of lady finger . The lady fingers I purchased were already split, if the ones you are using are not cut, you will need to cut them before proceeding. 
5. With a knife or spatula spread the white frosting on the top side of the lady finger before placing it onto the bottom portion with the pudding.
6. Place each completed lady finger back into the original holder or on a long flat dish – one that will fit in the refrigerator.
7. Repeat the process until all the lady fingers have pudding and frosted tops
8. Drizzle the chocolate glaze-frosting in a single line down the middle of each pastry (vertical)
9. Using the back of a knife, drag the knife – left-right – through the chocolate, then alternate right to left, several times until you have a nice pattern on the top.
10. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving for best flavor.

We found that they had even a better flavor after sitting in the fridge over night. Can’t say if they would be better the day after that – they didn’t last that long!

Found a couple of ‘new’ products that I think are worthy of mentioning. The first is the dish washer detergent that – in my opinion – actually works better than the more expensive gel name brands we had been using.  What is it? Sun . . . and surprisingly,  it’s the least expensive one on the shelf.

Ever since they took the phosphates out of the dishwasher detergents – my dishes have not seemed clean. So, after trying many different brands, Sun detergent was just about the last one on the shelf to try. What a surprise, it actually worked.

We noticed a difference in the dishes after the first wash – and to really put it to a test, I tried cleaning David’s favorite white coffee cup – that had become very stained. I did this by putting about a teaspoon of the detergent in the cup and then filling it with hot tap water. Let it sit overnight, and viola, next morning it was clean! All the stains were gone.

My next test for the Sun detergent is to try soaking some of my dingy, stained antique linens in it to see if it works equally as well on those as the old phosphate-dish detergents did. I’ll let you know. Note: Do not use bleach on linens, doilies, etc. - old or new – it damages the fibers.  And, if you’re looking for other care and cleaning tips for antiques and collectibles, visit the Texas Antique Mall Blog  or the Texas Antique Mall Compendium.

Next, is Dawn Power Soak. I like the Resolve spray-on cleaner for burned pans, cookie sheets, casseroles and crusted food, but this product claimed to deliver the equivalent of an ‘over-night’ soak in five (5) minutes. This I gotta see.

For this test, thought the stove burners would be good – they really take a beating. Got out my largest stainless steel bowl, gave it a healthy squirt of the new Dawn Power Clean and filled it with hot water. Then submerged all the drip pans.  Didn’t do anything to them prior to the soaking.   Now, while the claim was made for the product to work in 5 minutes, have to confess, I let my drip pans sit overnight . . . and, was very pleased with the results.   Almost all the burned on food, oil, etc. just washed off. There were a couple of spots that required a bit of scrubbing – but a fraction of the scrubbing it usually takes. As far as I’m concerned – that’s two out of two new products that work – not bad.

We do quite a bit or ordering on line, cheaper than driving to one of the larger cities where we shop, but were we surprised when last week,  received a delivery from Hong Kong!  Knew we hadn’t ordered anything from overseas.  But there was the envelope…customs declaration on the back and Chinese writing on the front.   What makes the whole process so unusual is that the glue we ordered online was from a company in Europe > > > with the product being manufactured in the UK > > > then sent on to Hong Kong for shipping out around the world, ie.,  Texas. Add to this the fact that we paid under $5.00 for the product AND got free shipping – makes you wonder how the heck they do it??!!

With the forecast for rain most of the weekend, looks like it’s going to be a lazy couple of days - the kind of days where you can curl up with a good book or . . . in my case  - cook.  Bought some lady fingers at the store a while back (they’ve been in the freezer ever since) but think I’ll try and make a dessert with them this weekend – mostly sugar free, of course.   IF my concoction turns out edible, I’ll pass along the recipe next week. I’m thinking of trying to make something with a lemony-flavor.  And,  with the rain ahead (YEAH!!! – we need it)  - tomorrow may just be a good day to experiment.